STREATLEY WITH SHARPENHOE
Straillei, Stratlei (xi cent.); Stredlegh (xiii cent.);
Shappenho (xiv cent.); Sharpenhoo (xv, xvi cents.).
Streatley is a village and parish with an area of 2,500
acres, of which 1,885 are arable land, 297¼ permanent grass, and 33 woods and plantations. (fn. 1) The soil
is composed of chalk and clay, and is principally arable.
There is no station in the parish, the nearest is Leagrave on the main line of the Midland Railway, 4
miles north-east of Streatley. The slope of the land
is from south to north, the greatest height attained is
524 ft., the lowest 222 ft. above the ordnance datum.
The small village of Streatley lies a short distance
south of the summit of the Barton Hills and a quarter
of a mile west of the point where the Bedford and
Luton road crosses the hills by a deep cutting in the
chalk. Though at a height of nearly 450 ft. the
position is disappointing, for to the north the view is
limited by the summit of the ridge, and to the south
and south-west the land falls slowly towards Luton in
wide but uninteresting stretches of country.
To the east and west of the village are lines of trees
and small plantations marking the broad summit of
the ridge which continues irregularly, with steep grass
and bush-covered spurs on the north side, running
down into the tilled fields around Barton in the Clay.
The parish is long and narrow, stretching from north
to south, and includes the village of Sharpenhoe
prominently situated on a spur of the hills one mile
north of the upper village.
The chief group of buildings consists of the church,
with the red brick manor-house, and several cottages
on the east boundary of the churchyard, a small inn at
the north-east angle, the 'Chequers,' being probably the
successor of the mediaeval church-house. A little to
the north is a farm-house, and the rest of the village
lies to the south-east, some ten or a dozen houses in
all, with a green and a pond.
The following place-names have been found in this
parish—Berry Close in the sixteenth century; (fn. 2) Harthonge, Aggotts, Maggotts, Mowses, Awberry, Abbots
lands, Chappellpightell (reminiscent of James de Cauz's
thirteenth-century chapel in Sharpenhoe), in the
seventeenth century, (fn. 3) and Rangley's Spinney, Jeremiah's
Tree, George Wood, and Sharpenhoe Clappers in the
twentieth century. (fn. 4)
Manors
The manor of STREATLEY WITH
SHARPENHOE belonged at the time
of the Domesday Survey to Hugh de
Beauchamp, and had been held by Aschil a thegn of
King Edward. (fn. 5) This manor continued to belong to
the barony of Bedford which Hugh de Beauchamp
held, (fn. 6) and the latest reference that has been found to
the overlordship is in 1342, when Ralph Butler held
it of John Picot as part of the barony. (fn. 7)
In 1086 William de Locels held 4 hides 1 virgate
of Hugh de Beauchamp as one manor, which by
1158 had passed to Richard de Gobion, who at
that date held two knights' fees in Bedfordshire. (fn. 8) In
1231 Katherine, widow of Richard Gobion, son of
the above Richard, successfully claimed from Hugh
Gobion, probably another son, one-third of 1⅓
carucates of land in Streatley as the dower settled
on her by her father-in-law Richard Gobion. (fn. 9) In
1274 Hugh de Gobion died seised of Streatley
manor, leaving as heir his son Richard, (fn. 10) who rendered
feudal service in Streatley ten years later. (fn. 11) He died in
1300, leaving two daughters, Hadwisa, wife of Ralph
Butler, and Elizabeth as co-heirs. (fn. 12) Streatley manor
passed to the former, and was held by Ralph Butler
in right of his wife until his death in 1342, when he
left their grandson Ralph as his heir. (fn. 13) Hadwisa,
however, retained the manor until her death, which
took place in 1360, when, her grandson Ralph having
predeceased her in 1348, Sir Edward Butler, his
brother, inherited Streatley with Sharpenhoe manor. (fn. 14)
Sir Edward died without an heir in 1412, and Philip,
his second cousin, inherited his estates. (fn. 15) Sir Philip
Butler died in 1420, when his widow, who after
wards married Lawrence Cheyne, owed feudal service for the manor. (fn. 16) Documentary evidence concerning this manor is scanty during the sixteenth
century, but proof of its descent in the Butler family
may be found in an inquisition taken after the death
of Sir Philip Butler in 1617. John Butler, greatgrandson of Sir Philip who had died in 1420, (fn. 17)
settled the manor in 1511 on himself for life with
remainder to his son Philip, to whose son Sir Philip
Butler the inquisition of 1617 refers. (fn. 18) He was succeeded by a grandson Robert, (fn. 19) who held the manor
till his death in 1622, when his brother John became
his heir. (fn. 20)
The latter died in 1637 leaving a son William who
was of unsound mind and whose guardian, Edward
Lord Howard, was allowed to compound for the
manor in 1646. (fn. 21) He died in the following year,
leaving the manor of Streatley, called Sharpenhoe, to be
divided among his six sisters, (fn. 22) Audrey wife of Francis
earl of Chichester, Helen wife of Sir John Drake,
Jane wife of James earl of Marlborough, Olive wife of
Endymion Porter, Mary wife of Lord Howard, and
Anne wife of Mountjoy Blount earl of Newport, and
between their brother's death in 1647 and the year
1674, the manor—thus split up into sixths—was the
subject of a series of settlements, and was finally at the
latter date conveyed by trustees to Oliver Luke, (fn. 23) by
whose family it was retained until 1725, when
Nicholas Luke transferred it to John Nodes. (fn. 24) From
the Nodes it passed by inheritance to the Goldsmiths. (fn. 25)
William Goldsmith, who held the manor in 1790,
appears to have alienated it very shortly after to Mr.
Marshal, and when Lysons wrote, at the beginning of
the nineteenth century, it was the subject of a suit in
Chancery. (fn. 26)
In 1854 this manor was sold by Messrs. Cobb to
George and John Smythe, representatives of whose
family hold it at the present day. (fn. 27)
The hamlet of Sharpenhoe is not mentioned in
Domesday. (fn. 28) and no definite trace of SHARPENHOE
MANOR has been found before the thirteenth century
when it was held of the king in chief. There is every
reason to suppose, however, that the land, afterwards
known as the manor, was held by the Cauz family
before this date. As early as 1197 Robert Passelewe
alienated land in Sharpenhoe to Richard de Cauz, (fn. 29) and
in 1234 their estates in Sharpenhoe were of sufficient
importance for James de Cauz to obtain the grant of
a chantry in his chapel there. (fn. 30) By 1266 Sharpenhoe
manor had passed to Robert, son of John de Thorp,
who in that year obtained free warren in his manor
there. (fn. 31)
Matilda, Robert's widow, by a settlement made
in 1303, held the manor till her death, when it
passed to George de Thorpe, probably a brother of
Robert, (fn. 32) who held it in 1316, in which year he
acquired a charter of free warren. (fn. 33)
In 1346 George Thorpe was holding this manor,
which by 1417 had passed into the possession of
Simon Felbrigge, though no record has been found of
the transfer. (fn. 34)
He was holding in 1428, (fn. 35) and between that date
and 1485 there is another break in the continuity of
the descent of Sharpenhoe manor, which reappears at
the latter date as the property of William Tyndale
and Mary his wife, who settled it on Roger Townshend. (fn. 36) He died seised of it in 1492, and by his
will he bequeathed the manor, after the death of
Eleanor his wife, to his son Thomas, with remainder
in default for sale 'for the benefit of his and her souls,
and the souls of their friends and benefactors for
whom they are most bounden.' (fn. 37) Eleanor Townshend
was still alive in 1543, when the manor was settled
on Roger Townshend, her son, and his heirs, Thomas
having probably died in the meanwhile. (fn. 38)
Roger Townshend transferred it to Sir John Huddleston before the latter's death in 1557, when he
left a son William as heir; (fn. 39) and he before 1578
alienated Sharpenhoe manor to Edmund Mordaunt,
who at that date sold it to Thomas Norton. (fn. 40) The
latter died in 1584 seised of this manor, leaving a
son Henry Norton, then aged 13, (fn. 41) who in 1604
settled the manor on his brother Robert Norton and
his heirs male, with reversion to William and Walter
Norton and their heirs male, (fn. 42) and they, in 1610,
sold Sharpenhoe manor to their uncle Luke Norton,
who held it at his death in 1630. (fn. 43) Graveley Norton,
succeeded his father Luke, and in 1646 (fn. 44) sold the
Sharpenhoe estates for £3,050 to William Wheeler
of Silsoe, (fn. 45) whose son in 1673 alienated the manor to
Hugh Smythe. (fn. 46) The manor thus acquired has since
remained in the Smythe family, and is held at the
present day by Mrs. Hugh Smythe and George
Townsend Benison, whose wife was first cousin to
James Smythe, who held the property in 1872, as
joint owners. (fn. 47)
In 1087 Pirot held land in Streatley, of which one
hide and one-third (the marriage portion of his wife)
belonged to the fee of Nigel de Albini. (fn. 48) This holding, which became part of the barony of Cainhoe,
and was situated in the hamlet of Sharpenhoe, reappears later, though it never attained the status of
a manor. Testa de Nevill states that John Fitz
Hugh held a fee here of this barony, and in
1264 William de Albini died seised of a fee in
Sharpenhoe. (fn. 49) In 1302 William de Norton and
Isabella his wife held of this barony in Sharpenhoe, (fn. 50)
and in 1346 their land had passed into the hands of
Peter de St. Croix. No further mention, however,
has been found subsequent to the fourteenth century. (fn. 51)
The abbot of Woburn owned land and meadows
in this parish which he obtained by the gift of William
de Locels, probably the son of the William de Locels
who owned Streatley manor at the time of the Survey. (fn. 52) In 1291 the value of these meadows was
£1 13s., (fn. 53) and in 1302 the extent was 2 virgates, for
which the abbot rendered service of one-eighth of a
knight's fee, (fn. 54) and in 1337 the value remained unaltered. (fn. 55) These lands are probably the same as those
termed 'Abbots' Lands,' which belonged in 1630 to
Luke Norton, lord of Sharpenhoe manor. (fn. 56)
At the time of the Survey the bailiff of the hundred of Flitt held two-thirds of a virgate which had
formerly been in Streatley, but which Bondi the
Staller had annexed to the king's manor of Luton,
where it is henceforward to be found. (fn. 57)
In 1266 Robert son of John Thorpe was granted a
charter of free warren in his manor of Sharpenhoe, (fn. 58) and
George Thorpe received a similar charter in 1316. (fn. 59)
Church
The church of ST. MARGARET has
a nave 53 ft. 6 in. by 18 ft. with north
and south aisles, a chancel 17 ft. 6 in. by
17 ft. 3 in., the axis of which is deflected southwards,
and a west tower 12 ft. square within the walls.
The whole church is plastered or rough-cast outside
and thickly yellow-washed within, and, beyond the
arcades of the nave, has few architectural attractions;
these arcades are of four bays, c. 1340, with arches of
two chamfered orders and octagonal shafts with moulded
capitals. The north and south doorways of the nave
are of the same date, with continuous mouldings,
but all the windows are of the fifteenth century, of two
cinquefoiled lights with tracery in the head. The east
window of the chancel is modern, of three lights with
intersecting mullions, and at the south-east of the
chancel is a modern trefoiled piscina. The chancel
arch is of two chamfered orders, the inner springing
from plain corbels. The tower is of the fifteenth century, with a stair at the south-west, of four stages
with an embattled parapet and belfry windows and
wooden tracery. In the ground stage is a west window of three lights with tracery over, and the eastern
arch is of two moulded orders with half-round shafts
to the inner.
The roofs of the nave and aisles are of low
pitch and plain detail, apparently fifteenth-century
work, and there are a good many sixteenth-century
benches with linen pattern panels, whilst others are
plain.
The front row of pews in the nave is pretty work
of c. 1630, the heads of the alternate panels being
pierced with open tracery. The pulpit is made up
of old material of various dates, having linen pattern
panels in its hexagonal body and an eighteenth-century tester.
There are image brackets in the north aisle to the
south of the east window, in the south aisle to the
north of the east window, and in the nave to the north
of the chancel arch. The font in the west bay of the
south arcades is a very fine example of mid-thirteenthcentury detail, having an octagonal bowl with panels
of foliage or tracery on each face, and a moulded base
to the bowl carried by four engaged shafts with
moulded capitals and bases and vertical lines of dogtooth between the shafts.
There is one bell by Mears, 1832, and a small bell
without inscription.
The plate consists of a communion cup of 1685 and
a paten of 1879.
The first book of the registers contains baptisms and
burials from 1768 to 1811, and the second is the
printed marriage book from 1754 to 1778. The
vestry book from 1794 is preserved.
Advowson
The Lincoln Episcopal Registers
prove that the advowson, vicarage,
and rectory of Streatley belonged to
Markyate Priory from its foundation in 1145. (fn. 60) The
church was confirmed to Markyate in 1402, (fn. 61) and remained in its possession till the Dissolution, at which
time the rectory was valued at £15. (fn. 62) In 1544 the
rectory, church, and advowson of the vicarage were
granted by the crown to Thomas Norton, (fn. 63) whose
descendants, Richard, William, and Walter Norton,
conveyed the rectory and vicarage in 1606 to George
and Richard Barbour alias Grigge, (fn. 64) who, in 1624,
transferred their rights to Richard Meade. (fn. 65) Ten
years later the rectory and vicarage passed from him
to Thomas Harris, (fn. 66) in whose family it remained till
1688, when Francis Harris alienated the rectory and
vicarage to Hugh Smythe, (fn. 67) who at that time owned
Sharpenhoe manor. In 1771 James Smythe made a
settlement of both rectory and vicarage on William
Hale, (fn. 68) and from this point their history diverges.
The rectory appears to have remained with the
Smythe family, who were impropriators in 1836, (fn. 69) and
at the present day the great tithes are shared by
G. T. Benison, the trustees of the late Mr. Hugh
Smythe, and Mr. F. A. Page-Turner. In 1781
James Buchanan Riddell, lord of Sundon manor, had
acquired the right of presentation to Streatley vicarage, (fn. 70) and it appears to have since followed the same
descent as the advowson of Sundon (q.v.), with which
it is now consolidated, (fn. 71) the present patron being
Mr. Page-Turner. Between 1652 and 1704 the
lords of Streatley manor claimed the advowson of the
church of Streatley. (fn. 72)
In the thirteenth century Sharpenhoe contained
a chapel of St. Giles, which was erected by James de
Cauz, who in 1234 founded a chantry there, (fn. 73) at
which Bishop Repingdon (1405–20) granted the inhabitants of Sharpenhoe licence to worship. In the
dry summer of 1775, an ancient stone font was discovered in the moat of Sharpenhoe Bury, the old
manor-house, and a farm known as the Chantry Farm
still exists. (fn. 74)
Streatley has a Baptist chapel.
Charities
Free school founded by will of
Richard Norton, 1686, endowed with
a rent-charge of £10 issuing out of the
manor of Sharpenhoe. See article on 'Schools,'
above.
Charity of Rodenham Rouse; 10s. a year is paid
by the trustees of this charity in Barton le Clay, and
distributed among the poor at Christmas.
The Rev. James Tyley by will proved 24 May,
1856, bequeathed £95 9s. 4d. in consols (with the
official trustees), the dividends to be distributed
amongst the most deserving poor of the parish.